


Lanterns

by sugarplumsenpai



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Birthday, Birthday Fluff, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, sky lanterns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 02:46:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6405649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarplumsenpai/pseuds/sugarplumsenpai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Eren's birthday and Levi buys them sky lanterns to release them at night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lanterns

“Which one do you like?” Levi asked Eren, holding up a red and a yellow sky lantern in their wrapping, the plastic foil rustling in his hands. 

They stood in one of these small stores which sell nothing but bric-a-brac, the many shabby-style shelves cluttered with stuff that Levi didn’t really consider worth buying. Eren on the other hand loved the place, his gaze flickered over the trumpery as if it he had heard the call of his mothership, guiding him home. Levi sighed, already considering which tactic to use to hale Eren out of here later, before this thing would end in one of his overexcited (dreadful) shopping orgies. 

“Hm.” To Levi’s relief Eren averted his gaze from the brummagem and picked up at a parcel that lay on top of the basket in front of them, showing it to Levi.

“Really?” Levi wondered, scowling at the odd choice that Eren beamed at. The red and yellow packages sank down at his sides.

“Yes.”

His scowl only became even deeper. “It’s boring. I wonder why they keep on producing them anyway. No one seems to buy this colour.” Levi wondered as he put the two lanterns back into the basket, next to a whole slew of grey ones that apparently truly no one – except Eren – really liked to buy, when there were a lot of bright coloured lanterns to choose from as well. “Pick another one.”

“No.” Eren clenched the chosen article to his chest as if he wanted to protect it and looked up at Levi’s eyes.“I like this one.”

“Well, it’s your choice you old fart,” came the grumbled reply as Levi snatched the item out of his hands and turned to the register. “I’ll pay for it.”

Eren seized him by the arm to hold him back. “Wait! What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You pick one too.“ Eren beamed, pointing at the basket.

Levi shook his head. “It’s _your_ birthday, shithead. Not mine.”

“Yes. And because it’s my birthday I want you to pick one as well.”

“Tch.” Levi rolled his eyes in defeat, grabbing a turquoise sachet for himself. “You’re weird. Do you know that?”

“Yes. You keep on telling me.”

“I guess I do. Come on, let’s buy these things and set them on fire.”

“How romantic.”

“Oh, shut up!”

 

\- - - 

 

It was one of these cold March nights that make you remember the fading winter. The still chilly east wind mercilessly cut through the air and crawled under their thick coats and visible puffs of air rose out of their mouths with each breath as they walked over a meadow, looking for a tree-free space. 

Levi hated the cold, but it didn’t keep him from admiring the passionate glint in Eren’s eyes as he looked up to the star-dusted sky as he always used to, directing the ray of his torch light at the zodiacal signs as he named them, which Levi would always forgot the instant he heard it… at least that was what he kept on telling Eren. It would make him step closer and guide Levi’s hand to the sky to trace the well-known signs with an affectionate smile that would Levi’s heart rate speed up dangerously. Levi never could tell if Eren looked through his farce or not.

Eventually they found a spot that was ideal and Levi fetched the lanterns out of his pocket, unwrapping first Eren’s, then his own. They crouched down on the soft grass that was already scattered with the first cheerful flowers of spring – daisies, violas and forget-me-nots. They looked all grey in the dull light of the night, but their scent was strangely enhanced. 

“Do you remember kindergarten?” Eren asked suddenly as he lay down the torchlight on the grass and searched his pockets for the small box of matches while Levi build up the lanterns. “When they made us sit in a circle, whenever it was one of our birthdays and they enkindled a tissue that would fly up, only if we would be quiet enough to hear it?”

“They only said that to make you shut up for once and sit still for a minute.” Levi mumbled, grateful that the darkness concealed his faint blush. 

Eren chuckled. “Don’t be such a crabber. It was a nice tradition.”

“Tch.” 

“They used to tell us to make a wish when the tissue flew up,” he continued. “Mine always came true.”

“Because you only wished for the chocolate cake your mother used to bake anyway.”

“Hey,” Eren’s bright laugh burst out of him. “I loved that cake.”

“Yeah… I’m sorry she can’t be with you today.”

“Well, I’ve got you, don’t I?” It was stupid stuff like this, that made Levi’s chest go tight and his stomach churn. Eren would always say such things and it would go under Levi’s skin. 

Glancing at Eren he once more wondered if he just should tell him or better let it be. He didn’t want to destroy their friendship, just because he was selfish. But yes, he remembered kindergarten all too well. It had inspired him to this idea that morning. He had recalled sitting next to Eren and reaching for his small hand because he new that Eren was afraid of the darkness—even if it would only last for a moment and was simply caused by closed blinds. His hand would clench around Levi’s as if it was a sheet anchor, until their teacher would open the shutters again and not let go for another minute or so, until his narrow shoulders relaxed with an almost inaudible sigh of relief. 

Levi cleared his throat, holding up the lamps. “Well, why don’t you make a wish today, too. Better not make it that cake, though.”

“Bummer.”

“Shall we?”

The hiss of an enkindled match rang loudly in the silence around them and the sudden light shone bright in the darkness, almost hurting Levi’s eyes. Eren inflamed the lanterns in Levi’s hands, blew out the match and carelessly discarded it to the damp grass, earning a disapproving snort from Levi. 

Eren chuckled. “Sorry.”

“Here, you crackpot.” Levi held out the grey lantern, not allowing him to show any reaction as Eren’s gentle fingers brushed his as he took it.

“You make a wish too.”

“Yeah, yeah.” 

They stood in anticipatory silence for a few seconds, until Eren broke it. “On three. One… tw–”

“Wait,” Levi interrupted him.

“What?”

“With three or afterwards?”

“Er, I don’t know. With three, I guess?”

“You guess?!”

“Well, I didn’t think about it before.”

“Clearly,” Levi teased him. “You never do.”

“Oh, come on, Levi. You can’t even not complicate this one, can you?” 

“Tch. Can we please hurry? I’m freezing my balls off in this fucking cold.” 

“You’re the one who started this. Just do it with three, you nitpicker.”

“As you wish, birthday boy.”  

“Okay,” Eren chuckled in response, his eyes sparkling at Levi’s. “Second try. Don’t ruin it, please! One… two…three.”

With the last word they let go of their lanterns at the same time. The flickering lights rose up higher and higher into the dark sky, all the way up to the stars, and they watched in silence side by side as the tiny flames grew smaller and smaller, dancing around each other in the cold wind, until they were too tiny to see them at all anymore. They didn’t move though, still looking up at the stars that blinked down on them.

An abrupt rush of goosebumps shot down Levi’s back, and it wasn’t for the cold blast of wind, as he felt Eren’s knuckles graze against his and linger in place in a quiet question. His heartbeat stuttered, then sped up and nestled in his throat as he hesitantly followed suit, opening his hand and cautiously reaching out for Eren’s, ready to instantly pull back at a rejection.

Warm fingers linked with his and squeezed, coaxing a silent sigh out of him that had been suffocating him for all this time. He squeezed back, suddenly fighting back tears and only bumped his shoulders against Eren’s, not able to say anything just yet, as he heard that wonderful chuckle again.

“See?” Eren said, his smile clear in his voice. “They always come true.”

Yes, Levi thought. They truly did.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave some comments and kudos if you liked the story. :)
> 
> My tumblr: [sugarplum-senpai](http://sugarplum-senpai.tumblr.com/)


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